Everything Lay Folk Should Know about Silver

June 10, 2015

Stewart Kuper

Silver has been used for thousands of years for adornments, utensils, trade, and the backbone of many monetary systems. It comes from the Latin argentum and the Greek ???????, which classists generally trace to the word grey or shining. Today it is lauded for it super conductivity for electronics, and it is utilized by almost all jewelers. But the history of silver is far more interesting.

Populus Romana

The people of Rome’s currency relied heavily on silver. In fact, the amount of silver mined by the Romans was unparalleled until the genesis of the United States. It is estimated that about 10,000 tons circulated through roman society until its collapse around 800 AD. Also, it was responsible for immense financial success when Roman merchants opened up the Silk Road and bedazzled the Chinese with the grey, beaming substance that is silver.

Modern Silver

Nowadays, Silver, number 47 on the periodic table of elements, is still as useful to society as it was in ancient times. It possesses the highest electric conductivity and is used in industrial electric contracts and conductors. But, its uses are highly varied, including: monetary grounding, water filtration, solar panels, jewelry, tableware, and X-rays.